If you could bring a fictional character to life, who would it be and why?

Benthoven comments on Dec 12, 2017:

Does it count if I created that character? I created a series called The Eye of the Morning, and the main character, Timothy, has always fascinated me. I would love to meet him... though I'm not sure how that meeting would go...

How many people here consider themselves to be an independent like myself, with no affiliation to a ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 12, 2017:

I've always said, "the thing I hate most about Republicans is that they force me to vote for Democrats."

What makes a god, a God?

Benthoven comments on Dec 12, 2017:

I'm going to go with pecs and abs. All gods have perky pecs and defined abs. Legs are important too. Gods have nice legs. And the godlier they are, the less they wear so we can see how godly they are. Brad Pitt, in Troy, for example... defines what is a god.

What is a good answer when Christians say they have a relationship with god

Benthoven comments on Dec 12, 2017:

So do I. God and I have been dating for years now. We're common-law in most states.

For those who knew their grandparents what were they like?

Benthoven comments on Dec 12, 2017:

I had three sets of grandparents as well. My grandmother on my dad's side died of a massive stroke when I was about six. My dad disappeared when I was ten, and so I never saw my grandfather much after that. He's dead now. My stepdad's parents were miserable people. Super religious, complete slobs, and my grandmother rarely left her bed except to waz or scream at my stepdad if he wasn't within screaming distance. My mom's parents on the other hand... As I said, my dad disappeared when I was young, and my stepdad was violent and abusive... so my grandfather would come get us kids every weekend and take us to his house. He would take me fishing (even though I could never sit still and it made him crazy). When I was in high school things got rough between us, but that' because I was also pretty rebellious. In retrospect I can see how much he tried to be the father to our family that we never had. I was with him after his last heart attack, and he died shortly after I returned home (we all thought he had gotten better). When my grandmother died, I had the honor of holding her hand as she took her last breath. I miss them a lot, but I'm glad I had the time with them that I did.

its ironic that this is an atheist/agnostic site but most of the posts seem to be about religion?

Benthoven comments on Dec 12, 2017:

I think I would like to see an official breakdown of all posts first before I were to agree or disagree. I suspect it's probably about half and half, but I'm not really in the mood to categorize every post to get a mathematical percentage. That being said, even if we were to talk about politics... the greatest threat to the U.S. politically? Evangelicals. Alabama is set to elect a pedophile to the Senate today. Religion is like yeast in bread... it's everywhere and there's no getting around it.

What author had the greatest influence on your motivation or your to higher energy.

Benthoven comments on Dec 11, 2017:

I fell for those guys as well, before I started reading books by actual scientificly minded people. Fortunately all I lost was the price of a book and wasn’t taken in by their seminar schemes. On the upside, because of them I was forced to learn, scientificly, what "energy" even was in the first place, without all that new age BS.

Has anyone else made games or rituals with their pets?

Benthoven comments on Dec 11, 2017:

I used to play a great game (which was also a ritual) with my cockatiel... He's rush to get into trouble, and I'd do everything I could to keep him out of trouble. No matter how I tried to keep the place safe for him, there was always that chance he could get into something bad for him.

What are your thoughts?

Benthoven comments on Dec 11, 2017:

Those who read the bible are destined to become doubters. I think there are probably way more atheist religious leaders than we are aware of, but they dare not admit... even after death since it would put their family's lives in peril.

Are you intuitive and perceptive and why?

Benthoven comments on Dec 11, 2017:

I've always thought of myself as psychotic. Since I was a kid I had ESPN and could levity people. I've had a series of auto-body experiences, and have been known to be telepathetic.

So.

Benthoven comments on Dec 11, 2017:

I hate that comment. We DID NOT come from apes... we share a common ancestor. I hate that I have to explain that about fifty-billion times a day. It's ridiculous.

An unofficial question: if Agnostic.com had a mascot who or what should it be?

Benthoven comments on Dec 11, 2017:

A photon... caught with my bare hands.

This memory just popped into my head after reading a post here: "Religion is for people who want ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 11, 2017:

Ironically, every answer only brings with it a dozen more questions. Personally, I think that answers are life's little joke. We search for answers, find one or two, celebrate, only to find out that on the heels of that one answer is a litany of deeper questions. Which I think leads to a paradox: The universe seems perfectly willing to support our "desire" for answers, but not our "need" for answers.

One of my favorite jokes:

Benthoven comments on Dec 10, 2017:

I just read that the Universe is about to implode. No matter!

One of my favorite jokes:

Benthoven comments on Dec 10, 2017:

Two guys walked into a bar... You'd think the second guy would have ducked.

Why in these groups one never finds people from NY, NJ....even from CT?

Benthoven comments on Dec 10, 2017:

I'm not sure what you're asking here. Are you saying that there are no atheists or agnostics in New York or New Jersey? Cause here I am. I live in New York, work in New Jersey... and know people in both states. But nobody from Connecticut though. They all commute to the City.

A post from a member who compared a god to a dictator inspired me to compare tRUMP to an overbearing...

Benthoven comments on Dec 10, 2017:

Satan lies. He is the father of all lies. “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” ~ Jesus Donald Trump lies. He lies about his lies. He lies about the lies he lied about. When he lies, he speaks his native language. Ergo… Donald Trump is Satan.

What is a sound you absolutely hate?

Benthoven comments on Dec 10, 2017:

High-pitched laughing/screeching.

Creation Festival Founder Arrested for Alleged Child Molestati.

Benthoven comments on Dec 10, 2017:

That's the difference between Connecticut and Alabama. In Connecticut they take these things seriously. In Alabama they elect them to office.

This is getting scary in America.

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

On the upside, though. Climate Change is about to wipe us out... so we're all good.

Do Superstitious Rituals Work?

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Beliefs are powerful things, and while they may not be tied to "reality," they strongly affect how we function in certain situations. It's called the "placebo effect."

Celibacy: How is it working for you?

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Well, it is what it is. I hate it. BUT... I'm celibate by choice... not MY choice... but hey.

A pastor told me today that he is sorry that I have not felt the love of god.

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

The preacher told me I was going straight to hell. I'm like “Hellooh <finger snap and palm in your face denial>! There may be a lot of ways I'm going to hell, but ‘straight’ isn't one of them.”

I don't understand how someone can waste so much time "praying".

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

When someone says, "I'll pray for you," I respond by saying, "I'll fart for you." It's pretty much the same thing. That being said, praying for "me" I think is effective because I'm calling upon resources that are available to me that I have not been able to tap into thus far. Prayer "creates the goal," and looks for the resources to make that goal come true. If I'm sick, and I "pray," that part me of may show me how to take better care of myself to be healthier, OR, it may encourage me to prepare for the inevitable. It's about finding an "in" to those hidden resources that are there, but I don't know how to access them.

"In a lucid state you will have the freedom to travel into any past or future timeline through the ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

It would be more fun, though, if I could visit actual places and actual times instead of the imaginary places of the subconscious.

All of you people who don't have a profile picture.

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I know right... It feels like I'm talking to the same person.

In todays society, if a man compliments a woman on her clothes, look or style is it sexual ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

It's hard to tell anymore, since we don't know where it's coming from and what the purpose of the compliment is. Anymore, it almost always seems suspect. That being said, we are REALLY hung up on looks. I realize that's important, but it seem to be the first... and ONLY thing we notice. And I get it. I find it hard to turn past those pictures of hot guys in their undies. But I will NEVER be in that league. So it's all about looks... which means that I'm "sexualizing" them... and I don't think that's healthy.

If my heart knew how many times my brain kept him from being broken.

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Not sure I agree. Both are important to life and happiness. I think both should be heard before decisions are made.

Turkey or Ham?

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Well, if I'm singing folk tunes in the straw... it's turkey. However, if I'm being a bad actor, it's ham... Otherwise... it's bacon all the way.

If you could were offered free lessons in a subject of your choice, what would you want to learn?

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

So many options... Physics. Neuro biology, Music Theory, or maybe "catching men 101"!

What colors do you like for Agnostic.com's T-shirt?

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Black goes with anything... and slenderizes... and makes my pecs (such as they are) POP! ;)

Help pick a design for our T-shirt!

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

It was a tossup between two and six for me, but in the end six was easier to read.

A Christian just said one of the most despicable things that I had to come on here and steam off ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Conversations with Christians can be profoundly disturbing. They should teach classes in college about that: Communication 101: Talking to your Christian friends.

Is an 'open' marriage a marriage?

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I would guess that's up to the couple in the marriage.

tRump is going to Alabama border today to make a MAGA speech now instead of supporting Roy Moore ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Well, for these guys, it was... because it didn't affect them. Racism was accepted, and they didn't have to defend it.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Benthoven comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Everything that happens, happened.

5 Really Freaky Sex Things In The Bible - YouTube

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

This is a really good read: https://www.amazon.com/Unprotected-Texts-Bibles-Surprising-Contradictions/dp/0061725390/

Theory of relativity?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I think it depends. Until I take a paternity test... the theory of relativity does not apply here. ;)

We meet in real life. How do you greet me?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I think a lot of it depends on how well we know each other and how comfortable I am around you.

Anti-Vampire Mob Kills Eight In Malawi, Forces Out U.N.

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Those who say that people are basically good inside never stop to read stories like this.

In Life I have learned more from Women than from Men, is that the case for other men?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

To be honest, I don't even know. When I cite things people have said to me, it's usually my mom, sister, grandmother... etc, but I also remember going fishing with my grandfather. We didn't talk much, but we hung out. I learned so much by watching him. He was my surrogate father, and at the time I didn't know how profound his contribution would be to my life, but it cannot be measured. I was raised mostly by my mom except for those few years she was married to my father and step-father. My sister and I have been close for most of our lives, and when it comes to handling people and politics in the workplace, she's brilliant. When it comes to finances, she's got it all together. She also has a lot of insight. So I've learned a lot from both my mom and sister. One of the most evil people on the planet was my third grade teacher Mrs. Jackson... To this day I look back and wonder why she was ever put in charge of children. Even my dad and step-dad, who were violent and abusive taught me a lot... about how not to be in the world. So I don't know. I don't even think I could quantify it. So much of who I am stems from the "people" in my life, and even then I don't fully grasp how much influence many of those people had on me. Maybe if I too the time to break it down, I could get rid of some of the negative influences that must still linger somewhere.

The Science Love Song - YouTube

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Kind of reminds me of an Monty Python song called the Medical Love Song, only you can play this one at work and in front of the kids.

2018; What does the year ahead hold for you?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

To be honest, I don't even want to think about it. 2017 was so brutal to me personally that I'm not even sure I'm going to celebrate the New Year. I'm going to turn on the TV and binge-watch Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

Have you ever told someone, 'I love you' knowing that you didn't?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

To get them to bed? No. But I have said it to people sometimes off-the-cuff... like right before you hang up: "I love you." I've also said it to friends when I was hammered: "I love you guys SOOOOO much!" And once when a guy bought me a drink.

What is the main reason why you are not religious?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I just wanna be me... just me... Well, with a little less around the middle, a fewer wrinkles, but me...

You don't know you wasted time until after time after you realise you wasted it.

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Basically, I'm just killing time until time kills me.

Is Pride A Good Thing?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I think there's a difference between "pride" and "hubris." One pushes you to be happy about what you're doing and to want to make it the best it can be. The other thinks it's far too important to worry about making itself better.

Do you put lime in your coconut...lol

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I did once... and it was awful. And I NEVER listened to that damn song again.

What do I think? I think that...

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I would say that they don't even make you feel good. At least with alcohol you get a buzz. Here you get nothing...

Advice needed! Atheist dating Christian?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

First I want you to say two "Hell Marys," and then I want you to say three "Hell NOs!"

what did god do before creation?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

He drank. How else do you explain this mess.

Saw this on Facebook. I found it hilarious!

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

As long as they're Christian, pedophilia's okay. After all, Joseph was a pedophile. “Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus. There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.” ~ Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler

Christians Claimed Gay Marriage Leads To Pedophilia; Now They Support Roy Moore

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I have a feeling that even if Jesus DID return, they'd just kill him all over again.

What does the group think of advertising our point of view?

Benthoven comments on Dec 7, 2017:

It's like the Ten Commandments. Most "Christian" organizations don't post the Ten Commandments because they believe in them. they do it to troll non-theists. And non-theists put up billboards to troll the theists. It's all just trolling. That being said, it does give one a certain guilty pleasure watching Fox "news" pundits give themselves a stroke every time they talk about it. I've often wondered if the non-theists who post these billboards did some actual "marketing" research the way any advertiser would, if they might come up with something that would work... that could be more than just another divider between the two groups. But for now it's just playing "gotcha"! I feel, more than ever before, that it's time to start trolling and figure out a way to get us over this next evolutionary hump. We've evolved quite well physically. Our brains have evolved significantly. But "emotionally... intellectually..." we haven't, and we need to if we're going to survive the upcoming crises. And those have to happen on purpose... We can't solve our problems at the level we created them. We need to get above them.

What would you say is your best quality?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I don't want to say I'm Upright and Virtuous in all my ways, but my halo can be seen from space.

About dreams Throughout history various people have been guided by dreams and visions.

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Michio Kaku has a great explanation on what actually happens in the brain during REM sleep, and it's fascinating. One of the most interesting elements is that "your brain's fact checker rests while its emotional daredevil keeps roaring."

Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

For me it depends. If you say "Happy Holidays," I'll say "Happy Holidays." If you say, "Merry Christmas," I'll say "Merry Christmas." But if you're a jerk and all super sensitive, then I'll say "Happy Holidays" cause... well... it's funny to watch you twitch.

Does anyone here hate noise pollution?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I live in NYC... If things get quiet that means that something is really really really wrong.

Ok so this is what my staff did outside my office...... What do you think? Honest opinions! GO!

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I think it's awesome... Unless they're making some sort of Hansel and Gretel passive aggressive comment about you being an evil witch. It's very creative.

[youtu.

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

With or without religion, this guy's just a dick.

Does prayer work?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I think it depends on "who you're praying to," and "who you're praying for." If I pray about things that I personally wish to affect in MY life, then I think prayer does work. To be honest, in all likelihood I'm talking to a part my mind that has the resources to work through something like that, or at least give me an answer I can live with. In this case, prayer is my focus on what outcome I would like to see regarding certain things going on in my life. It involves setting up a question (who can I do...) which becomes a goal... and then listening for an answer. That could mean, if we're struggling with heath issues, those resources that already exist may convince us to take better care of ourselves, AND help us do so. If we're sick, those resources may tell us that we must prepare for the inevitable, AND, help us do so. I think our greatest "prayer" is to understand what aspects of our life we CAN change, what aspects are out of our control, and the ability to see beyond what's happening in the moment. Now if I'm praying for someone else... I've often said, I can just as easily fart for you as I can pray for you, and both are probably going to have the same outcome.

Old question. What's your favorite classic song?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Bohemian Rhapsody. When I was in College, I did a paper on the story of the song... with it's many musical movements and various scenes. To this day, my friends and I will simply quote lyrics from the song when the conversation hits a lull. Hands down it's my favorite song.

Bright side of the religions

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I'm not sure there is a bright side of religion. Religion picks people who may or may not have been "enlightened," and elevates them in such a way that they cannot be questioned and freezes in time to when that particular religion was created. So as time moves on, knowledge increases, religion takes the knowledge and new awareness of our universe and vilifies it, creating a "moral crisis..." in essence what we're experiencing now. I think religion is an example of how the human mind seeks to control the world around it, and if there wasn't such a thing as religion, there would be something else. But we're finally at the place where we can see it for what it is, and, hopefully, evolve past it. But this evolution has to happen on "purpose."

What Is Your Favorite X-mas Song?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Believe it or not, it's a version of I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas performed by a band called "A Great Big World." I'm not sure how I ever stumbled on it, but it's silly and fun, and it makes me smile.

What is the worst movie you've seen?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

For me there's a difference between "worst movie," and movies that really just pissed me off because... a million reasons, plot holes, bad acting, bad story, or just too formula. For instance, Gigli was one of the worst movies, but Armageddon really pissed me off. It was ridiculous, unbelievable, and just obnoxious. The first three Star Wars Movies (Episodes I II III) really pissed me off. We waited twenty years from Return of the Jedi and the most we could get for the next movie was Jar Jar Binks? The CG was so much better than the sequels, but the story wasn't even thought through.

If reincarnation turned out to be true, what would you like to be reborn as?

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I'd like to come back as me, and get me right this time.

This is one of two requests for projects on which I am working: Do you have Generalized Anxiety ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Do I have GAD or does it have me? I tend to think that it has me...

CHRISTMAS MUSIC THAT DOESN'T SUCK....

Benthoven comments on Dec 5, 2017:

To be honest I love Christmas music. I'm not a fan of Mariah Carey or Elvis, but there are many others I like. For starters, I like those guys who make fun of Christmas, like Dennis Leary many years ago when he released A Merry F&^$ing Christmas. Weird Al's Christmas at Ground Zero, and of course Bob Rivers parodies... My favorite being "The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen." My Christmas taste is rather eclectic. I have A metal version of Silent night, A dance version of it, and a classical version... and I love them all. A few years ago I purchased the Twisted Sister Christmas album. I think it's about the style of music, but also about interpretation. There are only ten actual Christmas song which get get covered by just about every musician on earth, but it's how they hear that song, and how they translate it. I also really enjoy Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas.

Do you like long posts?

Benthoven comments on Dec 3, 2017:

I suppose it depends on how tall I'm trying to make the fence.

Van Gogh or Picasso

Benthoven comments on Dec 3, 2017:

Depends: Audiologist? I'm going to go with Picasso. Plastic Surgeon... Well, that's a tough one.

Do you know why Jesus was considered holy?

Benthoven comments on Dec 3, 2017:

That's also why he's never been able to walk on water since...

Rihanna: 'If Jesus Hasn't Answered Your Prayers, Try Satan'

Benthoven comments on Dec 3, 2017:

It won't work. I tried to sell my soul to Satan, and all I got was a form rejection letter telling me that he wasn't seeking souls at this time, but that he would keep my resume on file should any further opportunities come up.

Good artists borrow, great artists steal. Do you agree or disagree?

Benthoven comments on Dec 3, 2017:

The saying as quoted here was from Steve Jobs who said he was quoting Picasso, though nobody that I know of has found any evidence that Picasso ever said such a thing. And to be honest, Steve Jobs was a horrible human being. He treated his employees badly, stole many of his ideas, and then justified it... probably with this saying. A more accurate version of this saying might have been written by T. S. Eliot: One of the surest of tests is the way in which a poet borrows. Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different. The good poet welds his theft into a whole of feeling which is unique, utterly different from that from which it was torn; the bad poet throws it into something which has no cohesion. A good poet will usually borrow from authors remote in time, or alien in language, or diverse in interest. Notice how he's referring to "poets" not artists. So in context, it's a different animal. Good artists "imitate," while great artists take what's already there make it theirs. An example would be any of the great composers. Beethoven, my favorite, could imitate anyone, and often did, but it was either to learn more about the composer, or sometimes to explore the ideas of the composition. Yet his Fifth Symphony, his Ninth Symphony, Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata... they stand out as uniquely Beethoven. It was his artistry that allowed him to be so creatively. Beethoven broke all the "rules" of music. But he KNEW the rules first.

This is a bit of a rant-y, vent-y post, which after my wonderful “found a new friend” post ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 3, 2017:

I find it ironic that those who wear the name "Jesus" are so determined to destroy the very people Jesus called his brothers and sisters (those who struggled in life) while at the same time worshiping Rome (Wall Street), the very people who killed Jesus. I have super religious friends and family, and every time they hit me with the "God's Will," I say, "If it was God's will, Evangelicals (like you) would hate it. The fact that you love it suggests God has nothing to do with it." It's trolling, I know, but reason doesn't work. And they think they're superior to me. This way they have to defend their position, and it's not easy for them. Of course it helps that I've read the book and know it better than they do.

It's funny how many people would never talk to me even if they bumped into me on the street wouldn't...

Benthoven comments on Dec 3, 2017:

Is there something going on we should be aware of?

Atheism is Gnostic = They KNOW. No, they don't!

Benthoven comments on Dec 1, 2017:

Atheism is an "NON" belief and NOTHING else... A belief is a "generalization" about something (including God). It's like an app on a computer. Beliefs are created in the absence of evidence. I don't believe that the earth is round. I don't have to. It just is. I don't believe that the sun is at the center of our universe. I don't have to. It just is. I don't believe that water boils at 212 degrees F (give or take depending on elevation). It just does. And they continue to do so DESPITE my belief (or lack of belief) about them. Atheism is simply NOT having that particular app installed. Period. I don't believe in Santa, and yet I'm never accused of having an "anti-Santa" based belief... And I've especially never been accused of having a Santa-based ideology. Ideologies go hand in hand with beliefs. There's no ideology there. There's no "belief" here. The app simply doesn't exist. Atheism accepts the nul hypothesis until and unless there is evidence to support installing the app in the first place. Comparing Atheism to theism is like comparing apples to ginger bread. They have absolutely nothing in common. Theist: "Do you have the app 'God' installed on your hard drive?" Atheist: "No." That's it. That's all there is.

We all know someone

Benthoven comments on Dec 1, 2017:

I'm all good. The best parties are in hell, and they use they use the better vodka.

So this billboard was recently posted up along the freeway in my hometown.... Thoughts?

Benthoven comments on Dec 1, 2017:

Once upon a time, God created the heavens and the earth. ~ How Genesis 1:1 should read

PORN (straight) At the risk of offending some or many, what is your opinion on the existence and ...

Benthoven comments on Dec 1, 2017:

I have a saying... There are two types of men in the world: Those who watch porn, and those who deny they watch porn. As a gay man, porn is a completely different animal (pun recognized). I've had girl friends ask me when they found out their significant others were watching porn about how I felt about it. Whereas the first question you'll hear in my hood when guys hook up is: "So, what kinda porn ya got?"

DEATH Someone just posted about dealing with another's death. How about your own?

Benthoven comments on Dec 1, 2017:

I have often said, "I don't fear death... it's dying that scares me." I've a couple of moment, health-wise, where it was a real possibility that I could be staring down my expiration date. I cried a lot until the biopsy showed negative (doctors didn't think it was going to come back negative). Then I cried more. There's a part of me that just wants to get this thing over... pull of the band-aid... but there's part of me that wants to stick around for as long as I can. The irony is, it's going to happen, and there's really nothing I can do to stop it. I think that troubles me more... that I have no choice, and definitely no control. I don't really know how to process all of this. I live in a universe that goes to great lengths to create and sustain life, but even greater lengths to destroy it. It's a paradox I haven't figured out how to live with.

X-Mas

Benthoven comments on Dec 1, 2017:

I love the Christmas season... the lights, the colors, the decorations. I don't necessarily celebrate with family though since most of them are far away, but I hang out with friends. For us it's mostly just food and drinks.

Do you have a subconscious racial bias?

Benthoven comments on Nov 30, 2017:

Even if we weren't "born with it," it's everywhere in our culture, and whether we're aware or not, it's there someplace. It's sometimes so subtle we don't see it. Of course I grew up in a racist family, and despite my attempts to undo that damage, I still catch myself making sweeping generations that suggest I need to pay more attention. In the book Blink, one of the issues author Malcolm Gladwell explores is/are bias' of all kinds which tend to show up instantaneously even before we're aware of them. For the most part we can override them before they get out, but it's intriguing what happens when we're not filtering ourselves. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316010669

Does anybody else ever feel that Jesus' death and his crucifixion was a manipulation as a guilt trip...

Benthoven comments on Nov 30, 2017:

Everything about the crucifixion was a manipulation, created by Paul, a Greek cult leader who, for some reason, fixated on Jesus, a man whom, by his own admission he had never met, and turned him into a Hellenistic God, the Christ. We have God (Zeus), knocking up some human girl and creating a demigod, Jesus (Christ). From there it's just a mishmash of mythology: The hero has power to heal and raise the dead, so Zeus killed him to control the population(Asclepius). He goes to hell (Hades), returns from the dead (Dionysus?) having "conquered death." Add in the Horus, Isis and Osiris mythologies from Egypt, and you've got a brand new religion. It was through that lens that the Gospels would later be filtered. Paul was petty, vindictive, misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic, and volatile, and so was his Christ. That's why we don't see Christians working hard to follow Jesus, because Christ is so much better. If you read the New Testament, it becomes painfully obvious that Christ is the antidote for Jesus. In Jesus' story, he set up a raid on the Temple, pissed off the Romans, and they killed him. In Paul's story, the Romans were the good guys and it was the Jews who killed Jesus (even though none of the Gospels agree on how it happened). So there's a ton of manipulation. And when a "faith" is BUILT on manipulation, it makes it easier for anyone who wants to use that manipulation to their own ends. That's why Evangelicals are so in love with Corporate America and the Free Market. They were manipulated into that belief back in the 1920s by robber barons trying to hang onto their wealth in the face of strong public anger.

A rose by any other name......

Benthoven comments on Nov 30, 2017:

My name is Ben, Beethoven is one of my favorite musicians of all time. So I use the name Benthoven pretty much all the time. Sometimes I'll add Benthovens5th or Benthovens9th, my two favorite symphonies.

I've just spoken with Jesus .

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

Did he happen to mention anything about the Nine Inch Nails album he borrowed from me?

Does it seem like religious people try to get under your skin on purpose?

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I think it's a human thing. We like pushing each other's buttons... especially when it comes to areas of strong beliefs. I see us do it to them as well. We're still tribal, and this is one of the ways we try to show dominance. I have a saying, though: "I may have pushed your buttons, but I didn't install them."

What should be the default sort of comments when you view a post with lots of comments?

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I like to be able to follow a conversation, so I like the latest on top and I can work through the conversation.

Evolution

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

Right now it's the only explanation we have.

Poetry Time: Fill in the blanks And you want to ______ with her And you want to _____________ ...

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

And I want you And I want you And I want you so It's an obsession

Would you trust a Naturopathic doctor as a primary physician?

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I don't like the term "alternative medicine." You know what they call alternative medicine that has been proven to work? MEDICINE!

So what is the food culture in your place? In India we eat a lot of rice and wheat.

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I can't speak for everybody else, but I tend to keep it pretty simple. Pizza, Beer, French Fries, Tacos, and the occasional vodka martini.

Will Roy Moore win the Election on Dec???

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I'm pretty sure he will. It's hard to believe that the one group of people who are always so terrified of children being molested, are suddenly okay with it.

About Jesus

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I've stopped arguing whether or not Jesus exists. I think to say that he didn't exist is to tap into the same mentality that Christians have when they insist he does. Most bible scholars believe a man named Jesus existed. Who he was, on the other hand, that's where the debate really needs to happen. I think most scholars are sure that he was a peasant, probably from Nazareth, and his birth was suspect. The rest of what's said about him has been filtered through Paul and his attempt to convert Jesus into some Hellenistic anti-Jewish deity. But if you read his Manifesto (the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew), it's some pretty amazing stuff. I don't think that was Jesus who said those things, though.

I'm getting more and more irritated at the "us & them" mentality of believers who hold themselves in...

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I get asked a lot by Christians (yes, I know quite a few) what my purpose is if I don't believe in God. I just tell them my purpose is to teach Christians about Jesus, and if there's time, talk science over martinis.

With the male of the species their nipples are completely useless and serve no function.

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

But surely you've got to love when your significant other starts thinking or praying? ;)

If you could be a bird for a day, what kind of bird would you be? Why?

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

An Eagle. They're beautiful birds, graceful, at the top of the food chain, and they have great eyesight, and they're on all our money. Oh, and Abba would sing a song about me.

I am a journalist and news editor, I work with more than 7 TV station and news agency .

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

Technically it's "illegal" in the United States, but there are so many ways around it that it's almost impossible to prove that you've been discriminated against. Being a journalist in today's world is getting harder and harder. They're beholden to corporate supporters, the whim of lazy readers, and the constant barrage of comments from angry people because they didn't like what they read. It's a little disconcerting to watch.

Working on carving some Celtic love spoons

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I had to look up Celtic Love Spoons, but I'm at Starbucks doing some writing, and so I shrank the browser since I wasn't sure what I was going to get. But the history of the spoon was fascinating.

We are going to advertise on Instagram and need your help.

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I'm not convinced that's the best way to present ourselves. I'm not really that angry about religion or the symbols that go with it. My only thought about a crucifix is the same as most others... when Jesus comes back, does he really want to see the implement of his death everywhere he looks? As for the Ten Commandments, I simply wish that those who are so desperate to post them would do the rest of us a favor and actually read them. An image like "the Thinker," seems more appropriate. There are several comics, like Sinfest that more elegantly express who we really are. I think this is something that you would do good to speak with a marketing guru who could advise on the best ways to present both your site, and the rest of us.

God doesn't suck because IT doesn't exist. So that just leaves HIS followers.

Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:

I have those discussions with Christians all the time. When I talk about how awful Christians tend to be, they say something to the effect, “You have little understanding what a Christian is…” So I remind them: “Christians are ubiquitous. Fox "news," Franklin Graham, Brian Fischer, Focus on the Family, Ted Cruz, Michelle Bachmann, John Boehner, Joe Scarborough, Megyn Kelly, Pat Robertson, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Paul Ryan… Their lives are public, their beliefs are public, and they speak openly.” Then they try to tell me that there’s a difference in Christian… (sort of like white meat/dark meat I guess) So again, I tell them: “You’re having this conversation with the wrong person. I’m not a Christian. I’m never going to be a Christian. I will never surrender my soul. You should be having this conversation with your fellow Christians and discussing who and what you want to be as human beings who call themselves Christians. I don’t need you to tell me what a Christian is, I need you to tell yourself—and your fellow Christians what a Christian is; because I’m observing the exact opposite of what you’re saying to me.”